In practice, spoofing is used by hackers to achieve numerous goals, such as getting sensitive information from their targets, or gaining access to restricted digital environments from which they can launch additional attacks (such as ransomware) — and much more.

How does spoofing work?

It is possible to commit a wide variety of crimes by using information obtained through spoofing activities. Just imagine what a hacker or cybercriminal might do if they’re able to convincingly impersonate a company or another person.

A well-engineered spoof can take over the domain of an email or website to approach a possible victim, or gain access to internet protocols or IP addresses (which act as an identifier for computers connected to the network). Thus, it’s possible to have access to a person’s applications, get hold of their confidential data (whether personal or banking), and a spoofer can even send messages on their behalf.

This type of scam is not new, but its methods and purposes vary and increase every day.

What are the dangers of a spoofing attack?

With the possession of sensitive data, criminals can carry out a series of financial transactions using the spoofing victim’s name. Sometimes this transaction can be done with the leaked credit card details, and sometimes they can impersonate the victim in order to get credit, money from people they know, or make debts on their behalf.

A spoofer can also monitor your activities, gain access to messages sent from your device, and even sell the data they obtain to other companies.

What are the types of spoofing?

Now that you know what spoofing is, it is important to understand that this type of attack can take many forms, from the simple to the complex. Here are a few of the main forms spoofing can take:

email spoofing

Probably the most typical model occurs when an attacker uses an email to trick the recipient into thinking the message came from a trusted source. Typically, this is done in one of two ways: by removing the sender field (so that it is not possible to know who sent it), or by disguising known addresses from unknown senders.

For example, a lowercase “l” and an uppercase “I” are practically impossible to identify in a sender’s address. This type of message can also be sent via SMS (known as “smishing”), or through social media messages and other channels.

spoofing website

Website spoofing occurs when an attacker uses elements of a known page to create a similar or virtually identical copy, often displayed within a context that makes sense.

The idea is for the victim to put their information into the impostor website so that it is intercepted by the attacker.

IP Spoofing

IP spoofing is one of the more sophisticated attacks, looking to mimic a more technical point. It’s probably a type of attack that the user’s rarely even see, as the goal is to trick the system itself.

For example, a network can be configured to authenticate users according to their IP address. If the attacker manages to disguise the IP and trick you, their access is easily granted.

DNS Spoofing

The idea of ​​DNS spoofing is similar to the previous one. As you may well know, DNS (Domain Name Server) is a system that helps you translate website addresses into IPs. With DNS spoofing, attackers are able to trick the system and redirect traffic to an IP they control.

A simple metaphor can make this example clearer: just imagine that DNS are the signs on the streets, which indicate where a driver needs to go. With spoofing, a criminal “swaps” the street signs, with the aim of taking drivers wherever they want.

Facial Spoofing

This is a different strand of spoofing, with a similar principle. More and more, facial recognition models are becoming popular (to unlock smartphones, for example). For this approach, it’s common for hackers to use photos or videos of the person, with the aim of tricking the system and pretending that they are indeed there.

Good artificial intelligence may offer protection here, because it will be able to identify whether a person is trying to access that system or not.

Spoofing on social networks

Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and any other online service of the same category can also be used as a vehicle for spoofing.

In these cases, the victim has their account hacked, and cybercriminals use their profile or account to contact friends or family. Generally, these people simulate some emergency situation to ask for money, or they’ll announce products for sale (at extremely low prices) — but the products don’t even exist.

Telephone spoofing

Telephone spoofing calls can happen when someone impersonates a company or an institution over the phone. This usually happens through a service called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which is used to transmit online calls and spoof the number or name to be displayed on the caller ID.

So be suspicious when your cell phone shows a call with a certain name, but from some number or locale you don’t recognize

How can you detect spoofing?

Detecting spoofing yourself is possible, but as we’ve noted, it’s not necessarily easy. 

However, there are some signs that can help identify this type of attack.

Look for English and grammar errors in messages. These can be more serious grammatical errors, such as wrong words, or more subtle, such as certain inconsistencies or strange structures. 

Make it a habit to always check the links you are clicking or the email address of senders. Look for any unusual changes, however small. Look closely and compare the domain if you can. 

On smartphones, you can place your finger on links for a few seconds, so that a preview window of the content opens, as well as the link;

Note if your browser does not automatically fill in your information (if it usually does) Especially on a site you visit frequently, this may be an indication that you are on a spoof site instead.

Confidential information such as credit card numbers, passwords should only be shared on secure and encrypted sites using HTTPS at the beginning of the URL.

If an email looks sketchy, do a Google search for the content of the email itself. If it’s a known scam, it will likely turn up. 

Use the dfndr lab link checker. This is a free tool that tells you in a few seconds if a link is trustworthy or not.

How to protect yourself from spoofing?

Even if you follow all the tips above, protecting yourself can be hard to do. The big problem is that most folks won’t be able to closely observe all these details and stay aware on a daily basis.  And this is exactly what hackers count on.

Imagine someone who is going through an extremely busy day, doing a thousand things at once, who receives an email with these subtle changes. The chance of the person stopping to look and detect these errors is small. Hackers know that it is virtually impossible to be alert 100% of the time.

Of course, it’s best not to click on unfamiliar links or attachments coming from emails you’re not sure where they came from. However, as we mentioned throughout the post, the purpose of spoofing is precisely to disguise these attacks as something familiar and reliable.

Another big problem with modern companies is underestimating hackers. Attacks are no longer made by a single person wearing a hood, in a dark basement. There’s a lot of strategy and sometimes large organizations behind these hacks, resulting in attacks that are extremely sophisticated and very difficult to identify, as we have discussed in the examples above.

One option is to avoid clicking on direct links. For example, if you receive an email, an SMS (Short Message Service) or a call from your bank notifying you of a problem, avoid clicking on the link. Access the direct website or the app to confirm the information.

In cases involving social media intrusions or phone line cloning, it is important to be cautious when opting for two-step verification. Several applications already provide this option in their menu to enhance your security.

By creating extra phases for your login in communication apps, a spoofer will not have access to your message history (even if they have access to the confirmation code needed to login) and will certainly find it more difficult to hack your account.

Finally, it’s important to use some security solution (like dfndr enterprise) on your computer to make sure that the pages you access really are trustworthy. A software based on artificial intelligence will have more resources available to assess the security of your network, block potential threats, and protect your device before it becomes the target of an attack.

Did you learn something from this post? Now that you know what spoofing is and how to protect yourself from it, take the opportunity to subscribe to our newsletter. 

Then you’ll have access to more first-hand safety tips, right in your email!

O post Spoofing: What’s it all about? apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

The ph prefix means that both are…well…phake.

But despite the cute names, the damage that can be wrought with either method is considerable. Identity Theft is the end game for many of these swindles, and as you may know, the long tail effects of ID theft can be personally devastating (and if you’ve never really experienced or read-about just how hard ID Theft can be for individuals, we highly recommend reading through that linked article. Not fun, but essential information).

While phishing attacks are made through phishy emails, pharming is the term applied when the hacker sets a trap in the form of a malevolent website: frequently, an impostor-site posing as a well-known and trusted company site. 

Pharming: Individual User Attacks

Phishing and pharming often go together – and the phishy email lures a single user to a malicious website, where the user enters their private information and the pharmer makes off with it, using it later to sow havoc by deploying it on the real site.  

Sometimes these sites are simply set up like traps on the web – you may have encountered one or more of these by simply misspelling the name of a popular site. The result may be a jarringly different site than what you expected. 

In truth these situations are relatively easy to avoid.  But sometimes the site you’re delivered to can be very close to what you expected, and that’s where real pharming trouble can begin.

Malware can drive pharming too – redirecting you to the substitute site without your awareness or permission. It’s important to remember that hackers are increasingly fond of using techniques of misdirection. You may inherit malware through a new app you download, but the consequences arrive later, when you first log on to your bank-site or try to pay your credit card bill, and the malware takes you to an impostor site to steal that information from you.

DNS Switching  

DNS switching takes the whole pharming idea to a more dangerous height. Whereas the malware or phishing-driven pharming operates at an individual user level, DNS Switching redirects all traffic to a given website to a pharmed-out impostor. 

The malware works within the DNS server and redirects requests to reach the authentic site to the pharming site. These more sophisticated attacks often involve more sophisticated fakery, and the pharming sites can be very convincing.

How To Protect Yourself, Down on The Pharm

As always, there are a few different layers of protection you can enlist to keep yourself from pharming — and the more of them you employ, the safer you’ll be:

Mindset: Your mindset as a user is one of the best defenses you have against hackers. Remember that hackers are fond of using social engineering – which some might refer to as “good old psychology” — to lure users into interactions with iffy emails, sketchy sites, and strange-people on well-known platforms. Keep your guard up, and if somebody, something, or some site asks you for information that your bank or health club or grocery-delivery (etc.) already should have, let that alarm bell go off loudly in your head. Then take three giant steps away from your keyboard. 

If your spider-sense has even an inkling that an email from a friend or a site isn’t the real deal: slow down and check it out. In general: try not to confer the trust you have in a person or company onto any representation made for them on the web. The web is…the web. And it should always be treated with caution.

Unprotected?: Public, unsecured wifi networks really are the devil’s playground.

The upshot is that public networks have chinks in their armour, and hackers use those chinks to “eavesdrop” on your conversations. Information they steal through this technical kind of listening can lead to direct attacks, or…down the road, a phishing or pharming attack tailored just for you. 

S matters: There’s a big difference between http:// and https:// — the difference is that “s,” which stands for secure. When you see the full https://, it means that information on both ends of the website transaction is encrypted and secure. When you don’t – that may not be the case. This is such a widely accepted standard now that the absence of that s should put you on high alert.  

Phishy?: If it looks or sounds phishy, it probably is. It might also be pharmy. Here’s an example of what we mean: in one of the biggest pharming attacks ever launched, a DNS Switching attack on more than 50 financial institutions, the affected users were presented with an error screen that asked them to switch off their anti-malware and any firewall protection they might be running. Many users simply complied, and provided access to the pharming malware to do the rest of the work. 

This obviously relates to our mindset discussion as well, but we wanted to emphasize that even very sophisticated pharming attacks will sometimes rely on users turning off systems of defense: whether it be their own mindset, or settings in place on their computer designed to protect them!

Speaking of Defense…  

Of course one of the essential bits of protective equipment is a good security software solution. dfndr Pro provides several excellent tools to help you protect not only your private information but your physical phone as well. Having that combination of protections is important. 

Pro also offers a Safe App function that enables you to screen any app you might want to try before downloading it, and that can be an excellent first line of protection from malware of all types – including those that are designed expressly to uh, ”take you down on the pharm.” 

With your mindset on high-alert, and your phone protected with a well-designed, and multi-layered security capability, you can move about confidently. Just be careful out there, and try not to get any mud on your shoes!

O post Pharming: Phishing’s Nasty Big Brother apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

However, there’s one great reason to always stay on top of things and update your Android apps whenever they offer one. And it may just be the best reason of all: SECURITY.

“Most apps will update for a variety of different reasons, but one of the most common reasons is security,” says Emilio Simoni, Research Director at dfndr lab. “Engineers are always testing and discovering vulnerabilities in their apps, so even if an update has no new features, for your own good, you should make it a habit to update. Or, set your device to update apps automatically.”  

Why You Should ALWAYS Update dfndr security

dfndr security’s main objective is to keep you safe. That is the reason why you should always do updates with dfndr security immediately when you receive notice of them. Our antivirus database is constantly being updated, often with the defense against the latest, most widespread threats – so if there’s ONE app you want to keep up to date, make it dfndr security.

Why not take a moment and check now to see if your drndr security is up to date?

Follow the instructions from Google below to make sure your dfndr security app always updates automatically:

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• Tap Menu > and then > My apps & games.
• Select dfndr security as the app you want to update.
• Tap More.
• Tap Enable auto update.

dfndr security will then update automatically when updates are available. To turn off automatic updates, just uncheck the box.  This is what the Enable Auto Update looks like when selected:

Set Your Android Apps To Update Automatically

Android lets you control automatic updating so that it always occurs only when you’re connected to WiFi. Setting to Auto Update with WiFi is a great way to make sure all your apps are always up to the second.  Here’s how to make that happen:

• Open the Google Play Store app.
• Tap Menu, Menu and then Settings.
• Tap Auto-update apps.
• Select the Over Wi-Fi only option to automatically update apps only when connected to Wi-Fi.

If you need to do an emergency update and you have no WiFi you can override this setting.

Viruses, Hackers, and Malware Are Out There.  Keep them OUT!

“We’re seeing lots of aggressive activity among hackers since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Emilio reminds us, “If you keep your dfndr security always app up-to-date it’s going to give you the best protection we have to make sure you can use the web safely.” Simoni concludes: “And right now, with social distancing still in effect in so many places, you want to make sure your access to the web is safe and secure.”

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Read More: 5 Ways to Turbo Charge Your Smartphone’s Internet Speed

Read more to learn which 5 best apps your dad deserves on Father’s Day.

Get Dad to Download StubHub
One of the most popular apps of the last 5 years has been StubHub, which compares ticket prices from various websites in order to find your dad the best deal. Whatever his musical taste or favorite sport may be, StubHub can be tailored to find tickets for the right event on any given night. The app can be linked to your dad’s Spotify, plus it can connect to various e-payment platforms to ensure every transaction is hassle-free.

Help Dad Find His Dream Home
If your father is on the hunt for some new real estate, Zillow.com will help him find a more comfortable home for the entire family. The home search app has an intuitive and logical user interface to search for the ideal home based on your dad’s price range. It can also help him sell his current home by valuing properties in his neighborhood.

For the BBQ Hero of Your Life
If your dad loves to grill meats, check out hundreds of recipes on the Weber Grills app. Each recipe has step-by-step instructions, a built-in grill timer, and a grocery list feature to keep your father’s grilling days organized.

When Your Dad is Mad About Sports
Perhaps the hottest sports app at the moment is Bleacher Report, which offers timely scores and news in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and just about any sport imaginable. The app can be programmed to fit your dad’s interests so he gets notified of the latest stats for his favorite teams.

Improve Your Dad’s Mobile Performance
The best app for optimizing your dad’s mobile device is dfndr performance, which has a quick cleanup feature that gets rid of old files that could be slowing down his phone. It also has an app manager function to remove unused apps he no longer needs. A memory booster feature can enhance his device’s RAM speed as well. After all, you have to help him make room for all these awesome apps.

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While there’s not much you can do about data breaches that happen from the services you use, since it’s up to each company to fix these security holes, there are steps you can take to protect your phone from sharing private information with apps.

Read More: Protect Your Personal Information When Using Public Wi-Fi

Here are 4 ways you can protect yourself from getting hacked, targeted for ads, and exposing your personal data for companies to collect.

Be Vigilant With Your Apps
One of the best ways to protect your data is to audit your apps, which can help you learn which apps are connected to your social media sites. Checking your privacy settings for Facebook, Google, and Twitter can help you see which apps are linked to those accounts.

On Facebook, go to the top-right corner, hit the down arrow, click Settings and check the Apps tab. Here you can choose which apps retain access of your personal information. In Google, go to Settings and hit “Connected apps & sites,” and on Twitter, you go to “Settings and privacy” and hit the Apps page. At that point, you can minimize which apps are linked to each social account.

Delete Old Apps
If there are some old games and apps you’re no longer using that are still hanging around, make sure to delete them. By getting rid of them, these apps will not be able to collect any additional personal information about you, along with all the data stored within them.

Change Your Password Every 6 Months
Another good rule of thumb is to change your password every 6 months to keep passwords fresh and prevent hacking attacks targeted at you. If someone manages to get their hands on your hashed password, they’ll be able to use decryption methods to attain the full password. You could change your passwords more often than every 6 months, but make that the minimum amount of time to update your passwords.

Read Privacy Policies
Some apps may have lengthy privacy policies, but these are worth reading because they give you a solid idea how much data each app shares or guards. If you need to connect your personal data to the app, make sure the app comes from a reliable source and you know exactly how much information it’s gathering.

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One way to ward off malicious apps is to download a third-party security app such as dfndr security, which includes a full-virus scan feature. A scan of your Android device will do a deep dive into your files and even your SD card. Worried that you might forget to scan your phone regularly? Not a problem, just use scheduled scans which can run while you’re asleep.

Read More: Is it Safe to Download Apps Outside of Google Play?

In this latest case of infected apps, a piece of malware known as ‘Andr/HiddnAd-AJ’ (try to say that ten times fast) was able to load itself onto a number of apps designed to read QR-Codes. Apps infested with the malware included: QR Code / Barcode Reader, QR Code Free Scanner, and QR & Barcode Scanner. There were a total of seven apps infected, and the malicious apps were downloaded over 500,000 times before being pulled by the Google Play Store.

We know how hard it can be to avoid malware in a world filled with it, but here are a few tips to get you started on a safer journey through the endless world of Android apps.

Download Only Official Sources
We’re aware that this point may appear moot as we noted that the infected apps came from the official Google Play Store, but even though an official source may not be 100% clean, it’s still much safer than downloading an app elsewhere. Despite missing the occasional piece of malware, Google has quite a positive record of keeping their ecosystem clean from the mess.

Avoid Apps From the Web
As you can infer from our last comment, you’re best to avoid downloading apps directly from the Internet or something you found on social media. These apps are more likely to be infected with dangerous malware and are typically prefaced with a request to turn off a security feature to allow app installations from ‘unofficial sources.’ Take this as an immediate red flag and don’t download.

Watch Those Permissions
Once you’ve downloaded an app from an official source such as Google Play or Amazon App Store, try to remain aware. Legitimate apps ask for permissions to access certain parts of your system. In some circumstances, this is normal but use your best judgment. A new email app would request access to your contacts, but why would a QR-Code reader need the same?

O post Malware Hidden in QR-Reader Apps Infects Android Devices apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

An excellent way to start is to secure your device from becoming infected by malware. Most cases of the Fakebank malware occurred from downloading software from third-party app markets and through social media. dfndr security’s full virus scan feature ensures that all files and programs on your Android’s internal memory or external SD card are entirely secure. 

Read More: What You Need to Know About Online Banking

Of course, being protected is also about practicing basic security guidelines in your day to day smartphone habits. Here are a few tips you can follow to prevent your device from becoming infected by malware such as Fakebank.

Download From Reputable App Stores
Most malicious apps do not come directly from the official Google Play Store but from other questionable third-party markets. Worse yet, some applications are downloaded directly from the web due to receiving a link on social media or within an email. Make sure you only download from reputable sources such as Google Play or the Amazon App Store.

Dole Out App Permissions Carefully
When you install an application, it may ask you for specific permissions to access parts of your phone. Fakebank takes advantage of a permission setting in some Android versions called ‘System Alert Window,’ allowing the app to display an official message that appears to be from your phone itself. Before accepting any permissions for apps you download, use your best judgment to determine what an app truly needs to access in order to function.

Make Sure Your Bank Security is Updated
Lastly, although not entirely related, be sure that your bank account security is adequately set up. While Fakebank does have an ability to intercept SMS two-factor messages, it still doesn’t hurt to set the feature up to protect yourself against other types of malware. Also, check with your bank to see if you can receive emails alerts for any suspicious logins.

Follow these bits of advice, and you should be just a tad safer from malicious malware like Fakebank.

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Read More: Avoid Being Hacked When Shopping Online

Here’s what you should know about the latest threat that spoofs SIM cards and how you can protect yourself.

How Hackers Intercept Unencrypted Messages
The way cyber criminals go about stealing your information is by intercepting SMS messages sent through your device as it’s sent over the network. They can also steal databases full of data about mobile device accounts from phone carriers. One way they do this is by sending phishing emails, followed by exploiting a vulnerability in the signaling network that connects calls and messages.

One such scam was used through a T-Mobile bug on the company website that gave hackers access to the personal details of customer accounts. Hackers then used this information to impersonate T-Mobile customers in order to get a copy of their SIM cards. The scam involved pretending to lose a phone and then calling customer service and requesting an identical SIM card. They are then able to drain your bank account if it is linked to your phone or access other personal details.

Two-Factor Authentication? May Not Be So Secure
Experts now believe SMS is not as secure as using physical tokens or authentication apps on smart devices. One alternative to two-factor authentication that some companies are offering is a hardware token, as it does not send information over a carrier’s network.

The benefit of using this technology or a security app with authentication features is that they do not depend on the SIM card. Plus, these apps are not randomly generated since they are based on a seed code connected to your identity, making it harder for hackers to access.

Cryptocurrency Owners Being Targeted Too
Hackers often target wealthy groups or individuals flush with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in order to drain their accounts. Security groups have discovered that it’s very easy for hackers to intercept text messages and steal bitcoin from unsuspecting digital wallet holders. For example, Coinbase accounts linked with specific Gmail accounts that were secured by two-factor authentication fell to hackers hands.  

The white hackers then experimented by intercepting text messages and exploiting flaws in the cell network, giving them the ability to reset passwords to Gmail accounts and take over their Coinbase information.

In addition to using security apps and hardware tokens, you can avoid falling prey to these attacks by setting up a special PIN number with your mobile phone carrier that’s required every time you call customer service. With that extra security measure in place, this can deter spoofing of your SIM card.

Finally, be careful when using two-factor authentication. It’s always wiser to use it, rather than not, but perhaps disable it for any web based email that’s connected to your cryptocurrency account.

O post Uh Oh, Hackers Can Barrel Through Two-Factor Authentication apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

One of the criminal methods used by cybercriminals involves repackaging apps with malware. This may seem like a confusing concept, but it’s a simple one – and it’s something to definitely be aware of as you use your mobile device. Especially since so many of us use and enjoy apps on our phones, it’s certainly something to lookout for.

When an app becomes popular – whether it is one for productivity, a game, or something in between, it’s not uncommon for other developers to put “knock offs” of that app on app stores to give users more variety. However, these choices may come with a price. Cybercriminals are frequently masking what is actually malware in these alluring apps’ packaging.

How this works is that before apps are distributed, the hackers add a malicious code to them. This could lead to issues such as premium service abuse – which causes users to unknowingly wrack up charges – to data theft and even anti-malware deactivation.

The scariest thing about this is that users will not even know that it’s happening as the “malicious” app runs on their phones. The function of the app will be likely to run exactly as an unsuspecting user would expect it to, all the while exposing him or her to harm to their device and even their personal life and finances.

Users should keep in mind that hackers are crafty. They create these apps to look nearly identical to the original, which can lead to users even downloading them by accident and not even realizing they are downloading a “knockoff”. Developers make these particularly alluring and intriguing to device users, as they are looking for any way to penetrate their device and to put their bad intentions into action.

O post How Can Apps be Repackaged With Malware? apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

How Many Apps Are on Your Phone?
Odds are, you’ve downloaded a lot of applications since you first pulled your new phone out of the box. Consider all of the social media applications, games, and all of the applications like Netflix and Uber that most users can’t go without, and the average smartphone user has 32 applications installed. Chances are, you may not be using some of them, or some of them may serve the same function, like Lyft and Uber. Users can thus take steps to consolidate their applications.

Read More: Does It Matter If You Leave Your Phone to Charge Overnight?

Take an Inventory of Your Apps
Users can manually go through all of their applications and not only delete unused apps, but also manage data preferences. They can also configure what information is shared through applications, and if those applications are allowed to store information on the device itself. Many applications like Facebook ask to track location or save cookies on your device, and these can eat up huge chunks of memory without users knowing why. While manually going through these applications can be tedious and thankless, many users have reported that it is an effective way to increase device speeds and return the device to normal. Try all these tips to bring your beloved phone back to life and remember you can always add back an app at a later date.

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You May Have Too Many Apps Open at Once
If you aren’t good about closing out apps from time to time, it could mean trouble with how seamlessly your phone runs. While killing your apps isn’t something that you need to do all too often, leaving numerous apps running in the background of your phone — i.e., if they’re not being used but are still open and active — for an extended amount of time can cause problems. This ranges from draining your battery to causing those pesky app crashes.

Read More: Why Does Your Phone Notify You When It’s Fully Charged?

There May be an Issue With Your Software
Something more serious that may be at the root of your repeated app crashes is a problem with the software development of your phone. From time to time, updates to Android software may come out that then prove to operate in a suboptimal way with third-party applications. This means that bugs — such as repeated app crashes — can occur, causing frustration and prohibiting you from using your device the way it’s intended to be used. When you notice these performance problems, report the issue and make sure that you’re completing additional software updates that come out, as they could have useful bug fixes.

It May Be a Data Issue
If you don’t have a lot of extra storage space left on your phone, this could be the culprit behind app crashing, too. If you’re experiencing this crashing, try looking at your available storage and making space if you don’t have much left. You are likely to find that this will help to resolve this issue quickly.

You want to make sure that these issues are not compromising the safety of your digital device and try to be aware when your phone acts sluggish because the last thing you want is to have an infected device!

O post Why It’s a Bad Sign if Your Apps Keep Crashing apareceu primeiro em PSafe Blog.

Read More: 3 Top Group-Messaging Apps for Android

Messenger
One of the oldest apps on the market, Messenger has made the wise choice of quickly adapting to new trends in messaging apps. Some of its earliest innovations, like sending chat stickers, quickly became the norm across many apps, and new features like chat colors and nicknames allow a personalized touch for every conversation. Messenger has also made some bigger leaps over the past year by adding augmented reality filters to its video-calling, photography modes, and message reacts. These newest add-ons make it not only a good option, but one of the most comprehensive messaging apps on the market.

GroupMe
Despite lacking the bells and whistles of some of its competitors, GroupMe has something some competitors do not — the ability to add non-smartphone users to a group chat. This makes it an outstanding option for Android users who want to start a group chat with older family members or co-workers who have yet to get a smart phone. Furthermore, since it is intended to be used almost exclusively as a group chat app, it is easy for users to keep track of all group chats in one organized place. This added convenience helps reduce the overwhelming feeling of too many notifications from hyperactive group chats.

Snapchat
Primarily known as a photo-sharing app, Snapchat has evolved to compete with other messaging apps. With unique stickers and a Bitmoji tie-in to its chatting interface, Snapchat adds a fun and inviting twist to messaging. Like photos sent over the app, messages will disappear, too. While this makes it less viable as a platform for long-term conversations, it makes it a good option for quick check-ins and reactions to life events people post.

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What Are Security Patches?
A security patch is a small piece of software that a company like Google issues whenever a security flaw is discovered. In this case, Google creates patches often for Android, because Android phones have a more open system, and thus, more opportunities for security flaws. Just like the name implies, the patch software is meant to cover the hole in the security, which will prevent hackers from further exploiting the flaw.

Read More: Why You Should Only Buy AV-Test Certified Antivirus Software

Google’s Record of Patching Security Holes
The problem is that Google has not been doing a great job, as far as security is concerned, with their Android device security updates. As of September 2017, Android phones had over 24 major vulnerabilities in their software that Google needed to patch as soon as possible. Ten of those vulnerabilities were deemed crucial and could’ve caused really serious damage to Android users. The good news is that Google states that they aren’t aware of any hackers actively abusing the holes in their software; nonetheless, they’re taking proactive action by creating the patches.

The problem with Google is that they are the reason that Android phones are so vulnerable to hacks. Google wanted to go the opposite route of iOS by giving phone makers and carriers as much control as possible. This means that it’s difficult for Google to patch the holes when they don’t have complete control and can’t roll out updates as often as they should.

The best ways to keep your phone safe are to check online regularly for security updates and news, and to take advantage of something like our security scan feature.

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Read More: How Effective is Your Android Security App?

Ransomware Attacks

Recently, the WannaCry strain of ransomware attacked a total of 150 countries. Victims of this sophisticated attack included Russia’s interior ministry and Britain’s National Health Service; they were all ordered to pay a ransom amount in Bitcoin. Later studies uncovered that all victims were Windows users who had failed to update their software.

For mobile users, the most common form of ransomware is the “Trojan-Ransom.AndroidOS.Fusob.h” which requests administrator privileges and collects information from the device to upload to a malicious server. This server then determines the device’s worth and blocks device use in order to extort a profit.

New Techniques
As hackers recognize ransomware as a significant source of revenue, their methods and targets are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Oftentimes, scammers will target high-value individuals or systems in an effort to generate the highest returns per victim. Ransomware vendors are also starting to provide ransomware customer support lines to facilitate the exchange of data for payments. As these levels of sophistication increase, future ransomware attacks may develop the ability to evade detection through limited CPU usage, and use self-replication within organizations in order to carry out coordinated ransom attacks.

How to Protect Your Devices
To avoid the danger of losing your private data to a ransomware attack, make sure to backup your phone data regularly, and keep your Android and network software updated. Oftentimes, ransomware is spread through infected emails, so be sure to approach email attachments or messages from strangers with caution, and ensure your antivirus software comes with anti-phishing to block links if you click on a malicious link by accident.

If you are a victim of a ransomware attack, make sure to report the incident to law enforcement, as these attacks are often criminal offenses.

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Podcasts

Podcasts are all the rage right now, and rightly so. They are a great and entertaining way to kill time, and they’re educational, as well. Most podcasts are released on a weekly basis (some admittedly have more convoluted schedules), which gives you something to look forward to every week, and assures constant, new content.

Read More: The Top 5 Podcasting Apps for Generation Y

If you’re the type to binge, no problem. Some podcasts, like the recent and superb S-Town, have begun dropping all their episodes at once. Either way, podcasts will give you hours of enjoyment during your commute, and are one of the only safe apps to use if you’re driving to work. Be warned, though: most free podcasts want you to invest in a new mattress or Blue Apron.

Games

The issue with podcasts is that they’re a little hands-off. Maybe you want something more active to do on your commute. If so, game apps are the answer. Although Chess is one of the world’s oldest games, it is believed that there are still variations of a Chess match that haven’t been played yet. Apps like lichess allow you to play against other humans or, if you’re stuck underground in the metro, against a computer. Threes!, like its less complicated cousin 2048, is less focused on competition — you only need to try to outdo yourself. Unlike 2048, Threes! tiles include adorable little faces.

Twitter

An oldie, but a goodie: when all else fails, you can always surf Twitter. With a constant stream of content that you curate, it is always easy to find something to read or to watch. Find your favorite news sources and follow them; events happen swiftly in the modern world, and there is a great possibility that something may happen between leaving home and arriving at the office. “Wow” your friends and co-workers with your up-to-date knowledge. Or, if you want to relax and have a laugh, follow your favorite comedy website or late night talk show. They’ll post quick clips and articles you can browse on your way in, helping you begin your day with a smile.

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Android users shouldn’t assume that all of their recently snapped pictures have been automatically backed up, as this is often not the case. Instead, they should be sure to check that the “backup and sync” option through Google Photos is turned on. To do this, access the “Menu” option within the app, select “Settings,” and then tap “Back up & sync” to make sure the option is turned on. To check whether older photos have been backed up, users simply need to tap the photos icon within the app and view the photos that have been saved through the application.  

Read More: The Best Micro SD Card Brands for Android

Photo Storage Apps

Photo libraries can grow quickly during vacations, filling up a phone’s storage capacity. In cases where a device’s memory fills up before vacation ends, users may find themselves caught between the option of deleting old photos or not snapping new ones. Luckily, downloading a trustworthy photo storage app before going on vacation is an easy way to solve this storage problem.

Flickr is one such app that’s been a trusted photo storage platform for more than 10 years. The service offers 1 TB of free storage, automatic uploads from the camera roll, and free sorting and Smart Search options. Dropbox is another trusted storage provider. Although the app’s free storage constraints are much more limited at only 2 GB, this number can be expanded by following the company’s social media pages, referring friends to the service, and leaving feedback. Users willing to pay a monthly fee will have access to a storage amount of 1 TB and will even be able to access photos offline.

Group Sharing Photo Apps

A staple of summer vacations is the group shot. However, sharing these photos can be a tedious process, and photo storage apps often limit user access. Instead, downloading a private photo sharing app such as Cluster can simplify the sharing process. The service imposes no limit on group sizes, offers many privacy control features, and allows uploading and viewing from both mobile and laptops.

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How Facebook Responded

Following early news reports of the attack, Facebook launched its safety check feature, allowing concertgoers to mark themselves as safe. This safety feature was first enabled for an incident of terrorism during the Paris attacks, and it is activated after a crisis agency alerts the platform of a dangerous and ongoing incident. The platform then monitors the situation independently and enables the check as soon as posts regarding the incident pass a specific threshold.

Read More: What You Should Remove First When Your Phone Storage is Full

In one instance, Paula Robinson, 48, was waiting at a train station just outside the arena when the explosion occurred. Immediately taking action, she rounded up more than 50 teens after the attack and took them to a nearby hotel. Robinson then posted her phone number to Facebook, telling parents looking for their children to call her number.

Facebook users also made use of the social media network by sharing pictures of concert goers in an effort to locate missing friends and family members. However, this ability was abused in several instances in which people shared false images of friends or family members supposedly missing in the aftermath of the bombing.

How Twitter Responded

In the immediate hours following the attack, more than 14 million Tweets were posted about the bombing. Many used the hashtag #MissingManchester to locate family members, recruiting the help of others taking shelter at homes and hotels near the stadium to track those missing. Businesses and locals close to the stadium tweeted the hashtag #RoomforManchester, offering food and a place to stay for those stranded by the bombing.

Vicky Bates, a friend of one concertgoer, took to Twitter to find her missing friend whose phone had died. The teen sent out a Tweet asking for help locating her friend: “She’s wearing a yellow hoodie and I can’t get hold of her.” Just after midnight, another teen affected by the attack replied, letting Bates know that her friend was safe. “She’s safe we’re at a premier inn right now on Medlock street. We saw her on the street and her phone was dead so we let her stay with us.” Thanks to Twitter, many others like Bates were able to locate missing friends and loved ones during the attack.

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Read More: Signs That Your Android’s Memory is Almost Full

Flipp

This app is an all-in-one when it comes to gathering coupons and deals for some of your favorite stores. Gone are the days of scouring your newspaper or the net for the best deals; this app will put them all in one place for you. The best part of this is that you get to choose your favorite stores — such as Best Buy, Target, and Walmart — so you decide what you see. You are also able to add in your loyalty or rewards numbers for these stores, making it even easier to save.

Shopular

This is the perfect app to bring along on your mall shopping trip, as it will populate the right coupons at the exact right time. Because this app uses your location to determine what coupons and notifications to send you at what time, you will see deals that are relevant to you based on what store you’re in. And contrary to what you may believe, this app actually won’t drain your battery. Don’t get caught scavenging your email at the register for a discount code; have them sent directly to you with this app to save as much money as you can on each purchase.

PriceGrabber

This app is only available for Android, but it’s one that packs some serious punch! This app features a barcode scanner, and when it’s used, it immediately populates a price comparison of the product you’re viewing from other vendors. It also is sure to factor in tax and shipping information. Finally, it provides product reviews so that you can see what others are saying about a desired product so you know exactly what you’re getting before you head to the cash register.

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Read More: Is it Safe to Download Apps Outside of Google Play?

Popular Apps Can be Infected with Hidden Malware

Some apps in the Play store can become infected with malware without the developer knowing, as was the case with the 130 Android apps that were accidentally infected with malicious coding during development. It’s also possible for malware to be secretly added to an app’s software update. By the time this type of hidden malware is discovered, it’s often too late — many users have already been infected. To protect yourself against similar scenarios, be sure to run a Security Scan on your device after downloading a new app to quickly check your device for hidden threats:

Hidden Risks of Social Media Apps

Social networking apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can have a lot of hidden risks. Social media apps are a popular place for malicious bots and hackers alike. While many Internet users may be more cautious of unknown links in emails or on web pages, they might be more trusting of links posted on social media — even if from an unknown source. You should also be wary of what information you post on social media; you never know who might be watching you.

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Read More: Here’s How to Keep Your Virtual Offices Secure

Google Docs

When it comes to word processing apps, Google Docs is considered a tried and true classic. If you’re comfortable using Google Docs’ computer version, you’ll have no trouble adjusting to its Android sibling for making, opening, and editing documents. Ideally, Google Docs should be downloaded with its peers: Google Drive (storage), Google Slides (powerpoint), and Google Sheets (spreadsheets). These apps also have the added benefit of being 100% free.

Microsoft Office

If you love using Microsoft Office on your computer, then the Android version is likely a good fit for you. No learning is required here. Its original interface has been streamlined to include only the key features, but it is essentially the same as using Word, Powerpoint, and Excel on a laptop. The basic version of the Microsoft Office app is free, unless you want a more advanced edition.

OfficeSuite Pro + PDF

OfficeSuite Pro + PDF is one of the most user-friendly apps on the market. This word processor lets you do almost anything, except create a powerpoint. (You still can open *.ppt files, however). Designed by MobiSystems, OfficeSuite lets you view, modify, and create new Microsoft and PDF documents. The best feature? When you transfer documents from your cell phone to a computer, they require no reformatting. The trial version is also free.

Polaris Office

Polaris Office is another great choice. This user-friendly app can easily open PDFs and Microsoft Office documents. Its appearance is extremely neat and free of distraction, so you can prepare efficiently for any big meeting. There are different templates available, and you can export documents you create as PDFs and memos. Polaris Office also hosts its own cloud dropbox, where you can store all of your saved documents.

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Read More: Android Users Need to Remove These Five Apps Now

If you have a lot of apps on your device, then you’ll need to be concerned about more than just how much room they take up on your phone. You should also be interested in their memory footprint, and how a memory footprint can be reduced to improve your app experience. While memory footprints are largely the concern of app developers, you should be aware of how a reduction in your apps’ memory footprints can improve user experience and how your smartphone functions.

A memory footprint refers to the amount of RAM that an app uses while it is being used, or while it’s running in the background of your phone. The larger the app, the bigger the memory footprint is likely to be. All programs have memory footprints. The issue is when memory usage continues to rise when using or not using the app, as opposed to staying steady. When this happens, the developer will need to fix this issue in order to reduce the memory footprint.

If an app has trouble performing on a variety of devices — if it freezes or crashes frequently — then it likely has a programming problem with how it’s using memory. Luckily, reducing an app’s memory footprint can be a fairly simple and fast process thanks to the large number of online guides. All an app developer needs to do is monitor his or her app’s memory usage in Android Studio. Then, the developer can create a more memory-efficient code, which will improve their app overall and their users’ experience with the app.

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In 2015, Snapchat updated their Terms and Conditions to assert a “worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to host, store, use, display, reproduce, modify…and publicly display” all content sent through or uploaded to the app. In short, users relinquished all control of the messages and photos send over Snapchat to the company itself. As the nearly identical Stories features from Instagram and Facebook gain prominence, a look into these competitors’ data policies shows similar privacy dangers. Under the privacy policies of both companies, the photos and videos posted on users’ stories are collected, stored, and potentially used.

Instagram stories

After being acquired by Facebook, Instagram launched its “Stories” feature in August 2016 to accusations of copying. The new tool appeared to be a direct replica of Snapchat’s Story feature. They both shared a time limit, location tags, filters, and other elements. The company also borrowed another tactic from Snapchat: the practice of saving all photos and videos from user’s Stories to the company’s servers. While users can control who will see their story, with the option to set their account to private or hide stories from select followers, they have no control over whether Instagram stores their photos and what the app does with them.

Read More: The Best Apps for Summer Studying and Test Prep

Facebook Stories

After rolling out stories on the recently acquired Instagram platform, Facebook announced the roll out of its own Snapchat Stories spinoff. This new service, as with Instagram Stories, includes filters, effects, and a time limit. While it is not clear whether Facebook stores all photos and videos on its servers as Instagram and Snapchat do, a quick look at the company’s Data Policy makes it clear that the company is collecting some of this information. Under the policy, Facebook is allowed to collect “things you do and information you provide.” Using the information, the platform is able to “communicate with you,” “provide, improve, and develop services,” and “show and measure ads and services.”

Safety Tips

With these privacy concerns in mind, social media safety becomes more important than ever. Users should keep in mind the community guidelines of each platform. These guidelines typically prohibit material that is intentionally offensive, insulting, or threatening, violates the privacy of another user, displays individuals engaged in dangerous or illegal activity, or potentially threatens anyone’s immediate safety. In short, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram’s privacy policies should make users hyperaware of the permanence of information posted online.

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Read More: How to Test the Speed of your Wi-Fi Network

Other Ways to Kick Start Your Internet:

• Always opt for Wifi. At home, make sure that your Android is kept connected to your high-speed internet. This internet source is often faster and more reliable than your cellphone provider’s data network. Public wifi spots tend to vary in speed and some Androids have excellent 3G or 4G networks, so this rule doesn’t consistently apply.

• Delete any unused applications. Old apps can slow down your cellphone’s performance levels, including its internet browser, because they take up excess RAM and storage space. So, it’s best to go through your Applications folder and delete any that you no longer use. This is also a great trick for improving an Android’s overall function and usability.

• Install an Ad Blocker. Advertisements can consume a shocking amount of data, especially now that many websites are using pop-up video ads. To get rid of these pesky data munchers, try installing an Ad Blocker from the Google Play Store.

• Check for viruses. If you’ve tried all of the above steps and your Android’s pace hasn’t changed, it’s time to run a virus sweep. Viruses, malware, and other infected bots can drastically slow down your internet. So, stay safe!

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Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal

Already a popular nutrition tracker site, MyFitnessPal breaks down calorie intake and tracks progress to help log food consumption. It even tracks restaurant outings and water intake, for a holistic view on what it will take to reach the personal goals set forth by the user. Share your success through its social media portals and celebrate the joys that come with the achievements.

Pedometer & Weight Loss Coach

This one has a more specific goal in mind. Track your BMI and distance traveled, to guarantee accurate feedback. This app also allows users to create family and friend groups, so any health goals can be reached with a team of supporters.

WebMD for Android

Looking to diagnose an issue? Consult a professional opinion online in case something goes awry, health-wise. WebMD is a reliable source for ailments that can affect everyday life, with a symptom checker and different medication consulting options for a premium opinion. Double-check with a real physician for any ongoing problems, but this will help keep health in check.

iCare Health Monitor (BP & HR)

Real measurements of bodily functions can be invaluable. Whether it’s a tested heart rate or a workout result, iCare will measure heart rate to ensure that all systems are stable. This app is highly rated, easy to use, and gives back tremendous accuracy with instructions on how to achieve them.

Water Drink Reminder

It might seem like a small task, but staying hydrated is an incredibly important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. This app is a reminder to down a few glasses of H2O to maintain hydration and regulate systems. With plenty of customizations and a gentle reminder system, Water Drink Reminder is a subtle way to move towards achieving your health goals.

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Read More: Are You an App Fiend? Here’s the Best Android Phone for You

Android Apps Can Leak Memory

Android memory leaks are, unfortunately, a common issue. They’re mostly a concern for app developers, though they can also be a frustrating occurrence for smartphone users — an app that leaks memory will offer a poor user experience, and may make the user abandon the app altogether. Ideally, developers should be able to create easy-to-use, well-designed apps that are also memory-efficient. A memory-efficient app would perform well and not experience memory leaks; this also means that it would have a greater chance of achieving success in the Play store.

For Android devices, Java is the main coding language used. Unlike other coding languages, Java has built-in memory management, so many developers think that they won’t have to deal with memory leaks for their apps. Memory leaks typically occur because of programming errors in app development. App developers can usually detect a memory leak by using software to observe their app’s performance as they use it. A major sign of a memory leak is when the memory usage continues to increase both while using and not using the app.

A memory leak happens whenever an app holds onto certain data for longer than it should. Whenever an app is unable to dispose of this data, a memory leak occurs. This then can cause the app to crash or lag. The app developer will then have to fix these problems and issue an update to improve the app’s performance. Thus, if you’re experiencing frequent crashing or lagging with one of your apps, it might be time to check for an update to see if the issues have been fixed in a more recent version.

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